The River
by Yuechum
Summary: On the banks of the Styx River, he wondered what it would feel like to cross over onto the other side, if anything at all.


Hello! Here is another short one-shot for Fairy Tail, this time focusing on Natsu and ending with Zeref. I really hope you enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed, I especially love reading reviews, so please feel free to leave any! Thank you for reading!

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When the fire plagued his home and all the inhabitants within the city that he cherished so dearly, he had felt such an immeasurable pain that had him screaming within seconds. But just as fast as it came, the pain subsided until he knew no more.

While the fire was a scorching inferno that burned him to his core, the river before him was calm, eerily so, glinting with a purple hue that hinted at something more, something not of his dimension, but not so far from it either. On the banks of the Styx River, he wondered what it would feel like to cross over onto the other side, if anything at all. The river was serene, nearly still in the eternal realm of death, but a rippling fear held him at bay. To his right, a young girl, who might have been from the same town, but he can't remember such things anymore, stepped foot into the river with a youthful curiosity guiding her naive steps, and disappeared within a moment. The river that was seemingly so quiet in nature had swallowed up the little soul with a roaring tide. Not even a murmur left the young girl's lips, for the tide was too quick, too sharp in its movements to have let the girl have a moment to regret. With a blink of an eye, the river reverted back to a peaceful slumber, so chillingly tranquil that Natsu almost doubted that anything had happened at all.

How he found himself on the banks of the Styx River, Natsu did not know. Perhaps he made an oath as his final plea, but of what, he could no longer recall. And so he walked, with slow, cautious steps of a young boy who could not stop his curiosity for the world before him. But even as he walked across the cold ground of the Underworld, a prickling sensation at the back of his mind urged him to wait. However, whenever he tried to recall the voice that spoke him to him so softly, he felt a pain within his unbeating heart, a turn to his stomach that no longer operated. At his first sign of life here in the world of death, he heeded the advice of the voice, waiting patiently. In life, he may have bounced upon the heels of his feet with an impatient glint to his eyes, but in this world, where he had no sense of time, no beating heart to jolt his blood, he stood still, hearing the ripples of the Styx river swallow another curious soul.

With the Styx River falling into a serene quiet once more, Natsu looked ahead to the Lethe River, where souls like him drank from their hands, the water falling from their fingertips and the light in their eyes fading from their previous state of life. Their lips parted in a confused manner, looking around in a state of subdued wonder, still and quiet in their state of oblivion.

Maybe, Natsu had thought, if he drank from the Lethe River as well, he could throw away this feeling of pain that accompanied his every thought, and fall into a state of oblivion that held the other souls just a mere few steps away from him. But he heeded the words in his head nevertheless, because along with the pain came a sense of love that he had forgotten during his time here. How long has it been? He could no longer recall anymore, for a second was no different than a day to him. Although he had physically not changed in the slightest, the reflection he had seen on the banks of the Styx River showed the hollow light to his eyes, eyes that reflected the dead who could not pass over to the other side.

He had stood still on the banks of the river, the water never touching him despite the roaring tides that so violently swallowed the souls, with not a single soul paying him any mind. Perhaps this was his fate, to stand still and wait patiently for something that was uncertain to come, even though he could change his fate with a single step. The thought constantly captured his mind, until one day he could feel a warmth to his chilled body. Startled, Natsu looked around, but saw nothing. Instead, he felt a harsh tug that pulled him to a state of unconscious, just like when he had first entered this barren land.

Breathing felt harsh on his lungs, a burning to his body that felt far too real for his liking. Sounds reverberated too loudly, the water surrounding him felt too strong, and he wondered for a brief moment if he had fallen into the river after all. But his questioning stopped when he opened his eyes to see a face, so familiar, and yet so foreign. He felt as if he should know this dark-haired man in front of him, but not a single memory was within his reborn body. Even when the man introduced himself, the words passed through his hazy mind, but the soft, sad smile on his lips was the only thing he remembered in his dreams.


End file.
